(en) Wild greens destroy GE experimental crops in New Zealand

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A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
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From: Mark Eden <Poo@TradesHall.org.NZ Christchurch, New Zealand
In the early hours of Thursday 11th March, a dozen people jumped the fence
at the Crop and Food Research Centre at Lincoln, just outside of
Christchurch.
Within minutes an experimental genetically modified potato crop was
destroyed and a $200,000 research project was ruined. The experiment
involved mixing the genes of potatoes with genetic material from toads and
silkworms to make the potatoes rot resistant.
The timing was perfect. Opposition to genetically modified food has been
growing and the debate about Genetically modified food was one of the
major political issues this week, with even the Prime Minister suddenly
announcing she was in favour of labelling GM food the day after the
government called labelling "costly and unworkable".
Considering that this was the first major act of sabotage by environmental
activists in this country for as long as most people can remember, the
reaction to it was quite good. The most common reaction by environmental
group leaders was an attitude of cautious support or "understanding" of
the sabotage.
Most of the media were quick to use the word "eco-terrorism" to describe
the nonviolent act of uprooting some potatoes.
The sabotage was claimed by a group called the Wild Greens who are the
direct action youth branch of the green party.
Meanwhile security has been stepped up at Ruakura Agricultural Research
Station (The biggest vivisection lab in the southern hemisphere) where
genetically modified cows are being bred, and at other crop research labs
around the country.
Mark PO Box 6387, Wellington, Aotearoa (New Zealand)
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